Indoor fountains can be an enjoyable way to update any home environment.  The sound of running water is timeless and can give a person’s home a more peaceful feeling.  There is something basic about water spilling over a waterfall or tumbling down a rapids.

Indoor fountains can be constructed out of just about anything.  People have used copper, stainless steel, slate, aluminum, glass, resin, and pebbles.  Most of these materials are easy to keep clean, but copper requires the most work.  A copper basin must be coated to resist corroding or turning green.

Glass is a wonderful material that greatly enhances the overall appearance of the fountain. The water “sheeting” — falling down a thick piece of glass — appears as small waves that glide down and glisten from any lighting.  These fountains create a special environment with their gentle sounds, appealing lighting and artistic appearance.

If you are concerned about the cost of the fountain, or the amount of the space it will require, then a table top fountain is a reasonable alternative. Tabletop fountains are relatively inexpensive, very attractive, and because they are generally used indoors, require a minimum of maintenance. Some fountains implement traditional Japanese designs, while other fountains are based on the American country décor of using wooden milk buckets. Other fountains are more diversified and resemble postmodern art projects.

The basic elements needed to make a table top fountain are a small underwater pump, which you can find at a garden center or shops where aquariums are sold, a large bowl or other watertight container, something that will hide the pump, rocks or marbles, flexible tubing that fits the pump, a small copper elbow to direct the water flow downward, and (of course) water.

Lighting is extremely important to the total ambiance of an indoor water fountain. There is a special beauty about light reflecting off water.  One could use LED or halogen pond lighting, submersible fountain lighting, and outdoor lights, as well as colored lenses to create that little extra character.  When designing your tabletop fountain and the lighting, you will need to consider whether the fountain will be viewed from the side or from above.

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